Files

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Uploading files

You can attach files to Messages or upload files directly into the Files section of the project.

If you use Basecamp file storage (and not your own FTP server for storage LINK LINK LINK), you can upload multiple files at the same time. After you’ve selected your first file, just click the “Add another file” link to select another file.

Note: If you use Basecamp file storage you can upload files 2GB or less. If you use your own FTP server to store the files you can upload files 10MB or less.

File categories

Admins can easily change the categories that will appear in all new projects on the Settings tab. Here you’ll see options to add and delete categories. 

Note: Any changes made here will affect  future projects only. To change existing project categories, use the category links in that particular project.

Admins can create as many categories as they like, but we don’t offer a way to create sub-categories or nested categories. The best way to achieve this is to use a naming convention like “Interviews – Seattle” or “Finance – Receipts”.

To create more categories, go to the Files tab and click “Edit Categories” in the right sidebar: 

File versioning

You can upload multiple versions of the same file and keep them grouped together inside the “Files” tab.

To upload a new version of an existing file, click on the “Files” tab:

Now click the “Upload a new version” link below the latest version:

When you upload a new version, it'll appear at the top with a large icon and the previous versions will be listed below with small icons.

If you upload a new version with the exact same name, we will append the actual file name with an extra character so you don’t overwrite the original file.

Note: This only works within the “Files” tab. Files attached to messages and comments do not work with the versioning system.

Upload issues

Most of the time, it's because the size of the file is too large. If you use Basecamp file storage you can upload files 2GB or less. If you use your own FTP server to store the files you can upload files 10MB or less.

POSIX error

This happens if you are trying to upload a file that isn’t really a file. For example, Apple Keynote and Pages files aren’t actually files (they are folders that look like files). You’ll need to zip these file/folders first before you can upload them.

Super delayed upload

If you’re having trouble uploading files using the default uploader, it could be that your computer doesn’t have Flash 9 or greater or there could be some ad-blocking plugins installed.

To quickly upload files, just switch to using the Basic uploader when you click the link to upload a file:

Each user can make this change for themselves, and you’ll always have the option to switch back to the default uploader later.

Deleting a file

You can delete uploaded items from the Files tab of your project by choosing the trash icon displayed next to the item when your cursor hovers over it.

If you’re not seeing this, it could be that you didn’t upload this file. Only admins are able to delete files uploaded by other users.

File storage space and exports

The amount of file storage you have on the account depends on what plan you're on. You can view the amount of space you have remaining on your account by clicking on the “Files” tab from any project.

Then look at the “File storage space” section in the right sidebar.

If you need more file space than your current plan allows, you’ll need to upgrade to the next plan level. You can't buy extra space separately. The account owner can upgrade your account by clicking the “Account” tab on the Dashboard and then selecting the appropriate plan in the chart (upgrade instructions).

Note: If you don’t want to upgrade but you need more space, consider deleting files you don’t need anymore. Any files stored in archived project count toward your total file storage limit.

Some folks want to export their files before deleting. Since we don't offer mass downloading of files, each file does need to be downloaded manually from each project but the owner of the account can request a file export for all projects (or a single one) from the Basecamp Support team. Write to us and let us know!

Private files

Private items can be seen by members of your primary Basecamp company but can NOT be viewed by people in your client companies. Account owners & admins can make files, messages, and to-do lists private. Milestones & events cannot be made private.

Clients will see no reference to the private items. They won’t receive any email notifications related to private items. This allows you to share sensitive or not-yet-finalized information internally without needing to worry about clients accessing these entries.

Private items are called out with a small red “PRIVATE” item badge in the upper right corner of the item. 

They are highlighted in red on your Dashboard & Overview pages.  

You can enable privacy for messages, files, and to-do lists when you are creating them. You can update this setting later, by clicking the ‘Edit’ link near that item.

Privacy settings are inherited. This means a file attached to a comment on a private to-do list will also be private.

Moving files

You can move messages, to-do lists, milestones, and files from one Basecamp project to another if you’re an admin. You can find the link to Move… by editing a file.

The Move… link invokes a pop-over with a pull-down to select a destination project and some notes about what happens when you move that particular item. 

Certain limitations apply when you move a file:

  • All versions of the file will move
  • The file will no longer be associated with a message

Downloading files

Basecamp will generally open files that are viewable in a browser in a new browser window. These include PDFs, image files or sound files. Other files, like Microsoft Office documents, need a different program to open. Basecamp will download those files, and you can open them from your desktop.

To download files that open in your browser, right click on that file in Basecamp. You’ll see a menu that will give you the option to ‘Save linked file’ or ‘Save link’. It varies from browser to browser, and there are examples below: